


Living in Normal Time

by smug_albatross



Series: Living in Borrowed Time [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Chatlogs, Gen, Gossip, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26108440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smug_albatross/pseuds/smug_albatross
Summary: Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex are trying to save the galaxy. Meanwhile, everyone else is living their lives as normal and wondering what the hell is happening. Every chapter is a different one-shot.
Series: Living in Borrowed Time [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897879
Comments: 74
Kudos: 441





	1. Chat opened - Vibin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody tells Ponds about Rex's batchmates. Chatfic.

_Chat opened - Vibin’_

_Participants - CC-2224 “here for ur codes”, CC-5052 “Mr. Secura”, CC-6454 “Pondscum”_

\--

_here for ur codes_ \- ponds your entire batch only scraped by finals bc Bacara’s group set of the hurricane alarm

_Pondscum_ \- ouch

_Pondscum_ \- how come you never go after Rex’s batchmates like this

_Mr. Secura_ \- .

_Mr. Secura_ \- y

_Mr. Secura_ \- you don’t know??

_Pondscum_ \- …know what

_Pondscum_ \- aw kriff did he lose his batchers on Geonosis

_here for ur codes_ \- not Geonosis

_here for ur codes_ \- you seriously don’t know? I thought all the CCs heard the story

_Pondscum_ \- well OBVIOUSLY NOT

_Pondscum_ \- are you going to tell me or do I just stew in silent misery?

_here for ur codes_ \- tempting honestly

_here for ur codes_ \- okay so what happened is - you know how Rex has blond hair? His whole batch was like that

_Pondscum_ \- a h

_here for ur codes_ \- yeah, kaminiise kriffed up the soldier soup

_here for ur codes_ \- anyway Rexs batch didnt perform well enough on the year four tests

_Pondscum_ \- year four was prelim weapons right?

_here for ur codes_ \- no year five was prelim weapons, year four was physical conditioning. Remember that obstacle course? The one with the moving floors?

_Pondscum_ \- OH THAT

_Pondscum_ \- hated that

_here for ur codes_ \- Rexs batch didnt pass, so the kamiinise slated em for decommissioning

_Pondscum_ \- …oh no

_Pondscum_ \- little ad’ike

_here for ur codes_ \- yeah

_here for ur codes_ \- Jango showed up for the decommissioning and told them to keep Rex around

_here for ur codes_ \- transferred him into the CC track with Keeli and Lock and a few other troopers w/ the same story

_Mr. Secura_ \- uh Herc

_here for ur codes_ \- yep him too

_Pondscum_ \- YIKES

_here for ur codes_ \- anyway! Thats why we dont mention Rex’s batchers

_here for ur codes_ \- Keeli and Lock are fair game tho


	2. Chat opened - Janlee’s Medic Ad’ike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coric worries about Rex and Ahsoka. Chatfic.

_Chat opened - Janlee’s Medic Ad’ike_

_Welcome, CT-5064 “Coric”_

_Other Participants - CT-7272 “Janlee”, CT-1192 “X’loy’a”, CT-2239 “Bead”_

–-

 _Janlee_ \- @Coric where the kriff are you its your shift

 _Coric_ \- SORRY

 _Coric_ \- almost there

 _X’loy’a_ \- Is everything okay?

 _X’loy’a_ \- you’ve been acting really weird lately

 _Coric_ \- yeah yeah im fine

 _Coric_ \- sorry

 _X’loy’a_ \- I’m sure the captain will be fine!

 _X’loy’a_ \- he’s with three Jedi

 _Coric_ \- yeah

 _Janlee_ \- is THAT what you’ve been moping about??

 _Janlee_ \- relax. were rendezvousing w them before they hit the distress signal

 _Coric_ \- right

 _Janlee_ \- kid

 _Janlee_ \- I know Torrent is rex’s baby and the new commander practically adopted Beta and theta

 _Janlee_ \- but if shiny baby X’loy’a has his head in the game, u do too

 _Coric_ \- yessi

 _Coric_ \- wait kriff

 _Janlee_ \- sir is gender neutral in this army

 _Bead_ \- yes ma’am!

 _Janlee_ \- this is why ur my favorite

 _X’loy’a_ \- D:

 _Coric_ \- no that’s fair

 _Bead_ \- hells yeah Wave company solidarity

 _Janlee_ \- hah

 _Janlee_ \- also I’m putting a caffeine advisory out on Denal so if you see him drinking caf, you have my permission to yell at him

 _Bead_ \- YESSSS

 _X’loy’a_ \- Bead… your vibes…

 _Bead_ \- listen I got put on sanitation duty for a week I Want Revenge

 _Coric_ \- you got put on sanitation duty for a week because you decided it would be a good idea to use a malfunctioning blaster at the shooting range

 _Bead_ \- I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS MALFUNCTIONING

 _Janlee_ \- how did you pass basic???

 _Bead_ \- lies and deception

 _X’loy’a_ \- Honestly that explains so much about you.


	3. Denal has changed the title of the chat to [AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denal handles his new responsibilities while Rex is away. Chatfic.

_CT-7466 has made a new chat_

_CT-7466 “Denal” has added CT-2130 “Holdout”, CT-3369 “Impact”, CT-7272 “Janlee”_

_Denal has changed the title of the chat to [AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]_

_–-  
_

_Holdout_ \- ???

_Denal_ \- Hi! Help me

_Impact_ \- what the kriff is this

_Janlee_ \- Denal what the hell

_Denal_ \- listen Rex left me in charge and I have No Idea what to do

_Denal_ \- wave company is 150 troopers

_Denal_ \- the 167th, which i have been in charge of for uhh less than a week, is uhhh bout 600

_Denal_ \- the 501st is 9000+

_Denal_ \- and the admiral Barely knows who I am and Definitely wont listen to me

_Janlee_ \- aaaah

_Janlee_ \- the chatname makes more sense now

_Impact_ \- oh Rip

_Holdout_ \- oof

_Denal_ \- : )

_Denal_ \- THANKFULLY we aren’t going to be deployed until the Jedi rendezvous with us

_Denal_ \- but also please someone promote the captain to a proper commander so we can have an actual command staff

_Janlee_ \- longnecks, promote a defect? Pfft

_Impact_ \- hey a What

_Holdout_ \- yeah captain’s a natural blonde

_Impact_ \- hes WHAT

_Denal_ \- did you seriously not know??

_Impact_ \- NO but it explains a lot

_Janlee_ \- longnecks

_Impact_ \- YEP

_Impact_ \- incredibly depressing. Anyway Denal do u need Help or did you just need some other lieutenants to scream with

_Denal_ \- the second thing

_Denal_ \- but depending on how long the jedi take to square away the distress signal, i might need your help mater

_Denal_ \- *later

_Janlee_ \- mater

_Impact_ \- mater

_Holdout_ \- mater

_Denal_ \- nevermind I hate all of you


	4. Chat opened - Beta Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beta Squad reaches out to their medic. Chatfic.

_Chat opened - Beta Squad_

_Welcome, CT-5064 “Coric”_

_Other Participants - CT-8360 “Del”, CT-5538 “Attie”, CT-2198 “Shank”, CT-3598 “Jemme”, CT-2750 “Vaize”, CT-3564 “Ayar”, CT-085 “Lunn”, CT-8125_

\--

 _Attie_ \- @Coric are you planning to eat at all ever again???

 _Lunn_ \- if no can i have ur share

 _CT-8125_ \- I mean wouldn’t it be redistributed to the rest of the platoon?

 _Lunn_ \- shhhhh

 _Coric_ \- uh yeah sure

 _Coric_ \- lunn you can have the rest of this meal tho

 _Lunn_ \- yell heah

 _Del_ \- everything okay, Coric?

 _Coric_ \- yeah yeah

 _Coric_ \- medic stuff

 _Vaize_ \- ur gonna tell us more about the capt and comandr tano right???

 _Coric_ \- idk maybe

 _Coric_ \- ask Denal he was there

 _Del_ \- do Not do that

 _Attie_ \- D:

 _Jemme_ \- but buuiiiiiirrrrrrrrr

 _Del_ \- no

 _Attie_ \- buzzkill

 _Del_ \- Correct


	5. Chat opened - Bitch Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 501st DOES actually have a command structure. That command structure has some questions. Chatfic.

_Chat opened - Bitch Zone_

_Welcome, CT-1461 “Mancy”_

_Other Participants - CT-114 “Grezal”, CT-0285 “Tracyn”, CT-575 “Stokal”_

\--

_Tracyn_ \- @Mancy

_Tracyn_ \- @Mancy

_Tracyn_ \- @Mancy

_Tracyn_ \- What the kriff???

_Tracyn_ \- why did Rex put DENAL in charge????

_Mancy_ \- why are?? you asking me???

_Stokal_ \- at least hes a battalion LT?

_Tracyn_ \- Isnt he the Wave company CO?

_Stokal_ \- nah he got promoted on Christophsis

_Mancy_ \- Ah yeah he made battalion LT

_Tracyn_ \- …this legions such a kriffing mess

_Grezal_ \- yo whuzhappnin

_Grezal_ \- ahhh

_Grezal_ \- yeah rex as been weird since christophsis

_Stokal_ \- tbf we did get thrown into the meat grinder

_Stokal_ \- plus that mess with the 212th traitor

_Mancy_ \- U mean slick??

_Stokal_ \- thats the hut'uun

_Tracyn_ \- soOOOoooOOOooo whats up with Rex??? why is putting a grade 2 LT in charge of the kriffing Legion??? a NEWLY PROMOTED grade 2?

_Grezal_ \- idk man idk

_Grezal_ \- i mean he had to choose someon and TEChCLY allo us r the same rank ye?

_Tracyn_ \- o k a y BUT

_Grezal_ \- ye s wierd n denal is Freaking Out lmao?

_Stokal_ \- very weird

_Mancy_ \- is anyone else getting the impression that Rex has forgotten we exist??


	6. Chat opened - Post-Grad Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear these three will be relevant later. But also, I love them and I refuse to shut up about them.

_Chat opened - Post-Grad Blues  
_

_Participants - Ajata Mepor "AJ", Ceeti Mox "Sissy", Irym Carr "NSFW"  
_

\--

_NSFW_ \- HEY

_NSFW_ \- WHO CHANGED MY NAME

_Sissy_ \- lol

_AJ_ \- I regret nothing

_NSFW_ \- IM BEING BULLIED

_NSFW_ \- WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS

_AJ -_ Scroll up

_Sissy_ \- lmaoooo

_NSFW_ \- i-

_NSFW_ \- you know u should Have just muted the gc

_NSFW_ \- instead of This

_[NSFW has changed their name to Irym]_

_Irym_ \- all yall awful

_Sissy_ \- I Am Taking Notes

_AJ_ \- are you gonna write your next paper on group chat dynamics?

_Sissy_ \- Depends

_Sissy_ \- on if I get a grant for it

_AJ_ \- oh big mood

_AJ_ \- BIG mood :(

_Irym_ \- lololol imagine needing Grants

_AJ_ \- imagine not getting arrested every week??

_Irym_ \- I am DOING my JOB

_Irym_ \- I have a press pass and everything!!!!

_Irym_ \- not my fault the clones r so uptight :(

_Irym_ \- besides i dont get charged i just get yeeted in the drunk tank for like. the night.

_Irym_ \- amazing what u find out in the drunk tank

_Sissy_ \- That's why your head is so big

_Sissy_ \- its full of Secrets

_Irym_ \- EXACTLY

_Irym_ \- I don't know how u handle having One Brain

_Irym_ \- at least AJ has some brain in her lekku??

_Sissy_ \- pfft

_Sissy_ \- I Came All The Way From Falleen And All I Got Are These Stupid Pheromones

_Sissy_ \- Everyone always asks me if I am using Pheromones on them and the Answer is Always No

_Sissy_ \- I Am An Ethical Community Psychologist, Please Jump In A Lake

_Irym_ \- counterpoint

_Irym_ \- no lakes on coruscant

_Sissy_ \- A fair point. Hmm.

_Sissy_ \- Please Jump Down The Level Shaft

_Irym_ \- much better


	7. Desperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I was going to have this scene be in Borrowed Time, but I decided that Rex's POV flowed better. Still, I do enjoy showing off how freakin' weird Rex and Ahsoka are from an outside perspective, sooooooo... enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT - can't believe I forgot to title this baby

The other first lieutenants listened in silence as Mancy explained everything, outlining his concerns about the Captain - and their new Commander.

"If you're wrong, it's treason," Grezal warned.

Mancy crossed his arms. "And if I'm _right,_ we could have a Separatist _spy_ playing the Captain like a puppet on a string."

"I can't believe you threatened her," Tracyn muttered. "And _didn't_ get spaced."

"That was foolish," Grezal reprimanded, raising an eyebrow at Mancy, who winced. Maybe it _hadn't_ been the smartest play, but he had to at least let her know that any attempts to get their Captain killed wouldn't go unnoticed.

Stokal growled. "So _what?"_ he demanded. "If she's hurting, the Captain, we have to stop her!"

Grezal raised a hand. "We don't know that she is," he pointed out. "The sequence of events is... suspicious," he agreed, "but we're just clones. We can't go accusing Jedi of being traitors to the Republic without indisputable proof."

"So... what do we go?" Stokal asked, raking his fingers through his hair. "We can't do _nothing!"_

Tracyn cleared his throat. "Maybe we could just... ask him?" he said tentatively. "I mean, he's not going to tell us outright," he added quickly, "but maybe he'll open up a bit if we just... ask him if something's wrong. Which is obviously is, I mean," he swept his hand in a broad gesture clearly meant to encompass the whole situation. "Can't hurt, right?"

"Should we all go?" Mancy questioned. "We don't want to spook him."

Stokal snorted. "Fine, then _you_ can stay here. He's our Captain, not a shiny. It'll be fine."

* * *

It was not fine.

Rex tracked each of them as they stepped into his room, not moving from where he sat on his bed, blaster cleaning kit open beside him as he methodically cleaned out a battered, filthy-looking rifle that still managed to look like better tech than anything in the GAR and was clearly modded to the hells and back. He could have been watching cleaning droids for all the emotion in his face. "Something wrong, boys?"

"Depends on you, sir," Grezal answered bluntly, leaning against the Captain's desk. Mancy shuffled sideways, picking a spot between Grezal and Stokal to stand in and winced internally at Grezal's vaguely ominous tone. He'd always been a bit _showy._ "You've been acting strange lately. Consider us... concerned."

Mancy tensed when the Captain's eyes darted towards the door, mapping and calculating like he was on a battlefield. Four-on-one was _osik_ for odds, but they'd fought worse - and Rex was the best.

But Rex didn't bolt. He turned his attention back to his rifle. "Concerned."

"You put a _grade two_ in charge of the Legion," Mancy cut in, shooting Grezal a _look_ and hoping he'd get the message. "Even though all four of us were _right here."_

"I did do that, didn't I?" Rex murmured, blowing on the Heter valve as he cleaned the last of the dirt from it.

"You did," Grezal agreed. "And we're all eager to hear your reasoning."

Rex glanced at him, hands pausing on the rifle. "And where _exactly_ are you going with this, Lieutenant?"

 _Osik._ Mancy exchanged worried glances with Tracyn. Grezal was handling this all wrong - he was pushing too hard, relying on camraderie that _obviously_ didn't matter anymore. By the edge in Rex's voice, he was prepared to head off a full mutiny.

"Just some brotherly concern, sir," Grezal said, his body language still perfectly relaxed. (It wasn't working, Rex was only getting more and more tense.) "It's obvious that _something_ has you worried. The whole Legion knows it."

Rex's gaze slid over to Mancy, pinning him in place. "Do they now?" he asked softly. Mancy felt trapped - like a mouse in a loth-cat's claws. There was something _wrong_ with the way Rex was looking at him - like he was a threat, not a _vod_ trying to keep him safe. "And what do people _outside_ the Legion have to say?"

_Osik._

"Sir," Grezal said sharply, dragging Rex's gaze back to him. (Mancy nearly gasped in relief.) "Why did you put Denal in charge of the Legion?"

Rex hummed. "You might not like the answer, Lieutenant."

"That's all right, sir," Grezal countered, matching Rex's mild tone.

"Is it." Rex frowned down at the cleaning rag, which was apparently doing its job _very_ well. "I needed someone I could trust."

Mancy felt like he'd been shot.

Rex didn't trust them? _Their Captain_ didn't trust them - why not? What happened? What had they done wrong?

Grezal was very still as he asked, "You don't trust us, sir?"

"No, trooper," Rex said, not looking up from his rifle, "I don't."

Anger flared up in Mancy's chest. They _hadn't_ done anything wrong - Christophsis had been _fine._ "Why not?" he demanded, taking a step forward. "We've _always_ followed your orders, sir. We look out for our brothers." _Including you, you ungrateful_ chakaar.

"Maybe you do," Rex said dismissively, reaching for a swab. "But that's not enough." He glanced up, eyes sweeping clinically across them. Mancy pressed his lips together when those eyes (they're _dead,_ Mancy realized abruptly) landed on him. "You want to earn my trust? Prove to me you're not just going through the motions the Kaminoans _programmed_ into you."

A collective hiss echoed through the room. Rex didn't so much as twitch.

 _How dare you,_ Mancy wanted to shout, _How dare you, after all this time, how dare you kriffing doubt us -_

Something in Rex's expression flickered. Mancy stared hard, trying to decipher it, grasping for any reason the Captain had suddenly lost faith in them _(Commander Tano)_ -

"Prove it," Rex said quietly, holding Mancy's gaze.

And it clicked. _Desperation._

Rex's gaze dropped. "Dismissed," he said. "Mancy, tell Blackout that if he wants to spy on my Legion, he should pick a meeting place where Commander Tano can't hear him."

Mancy paled. "Sir -"

 _"Dismissed,_ soldier."

* * *

 _Mancy_ \- Sir somethings very wrong with the captain

 _Mancy_ \- he doesnt trust us any more and i dont know why

 _Blackout_ \- ugh

 _Blackout_ \- rex fks

 _Blackout_ \- bet u 100 credits its the kaminiise

 _Mancy_ \- the kaminoans sir?

 _Blackout_ \- they are Causing Problems

 _Mancy_ \- he also said that if youre going to spy on his legion you should pick a meeting spot where commander tano cant hear you

 _Blackout_ \- ...

 _Blackout_ \- the VENTS

 _Mancy_ \- osik

 _Blackout_ \- yes. i will remember that.

 _Mancy_ \- sir do you think the commander...?

 _Blackout_ \- correlation not causality

 _Blackout_ \- ive cleared her

 _Blackout_ \- like shes kriffin weird dont get me wrong but shes on our side

 _Mancy_ \- if you say so sir

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a Translations  
>  _osik_ \- shit  
>  _vod_ \- sibling  
>  _chakaar_ \- bastard


	8. Domino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex and Ahsoka go to Rishi - only to discover that they are not the only ones who remember things that haven’t happened yet. Crossover with Meridiansdominoes “Dominoes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made a slight alteration - in Dominoes, Nub is CT-327 the sentry, but in LiBT they’re two separate characters.

Fives would _never, ever_ admit it, because Alpha-17 would tan his hide for kama leather if he did, but he was so focused on the commando droids that he didn’t notice the shuttle until Echo _literally_ smacked him over the head.

“They’re not supposed to _be here yet,”_ Echo hissed furiously, dragging Cutup to his feet and pulling them out of the way of the landing zone. “What the kriff are they -”

“I don’t _know,”_ Fives growled back. They were going to ruin everything, with the shuttle in the way - no, okay, he could work with this. “Droidbait, spot for them,” he ordered, handing the scopes over to his brother. “Hevy, stay with ‘em, I’m gonna -” He waved vaguely at the inspection team, already hurrying over - but not fast enough to be out of range of Echo’s sigh.

It was, probably, going to be fine. Rex was a reasonable man.

“Six left,” he heard Cutup mutter.

It was going to be fine. Rex was a reasonable man who would save them from O’Niner’s mutiny suspicions.

It was Commander Cody who faced him first. “Trooper,” he greeted calmly, cradling his DC-15A in the crook of his elbow. “I’d tell you we were the inspection team, but it looks like you’ve found bigger problems.”

“Five. Four.”

Fives swallowed hard. “You could say that, sir,” he agreed. “We, uhh, we -” Why couldn’t Echo be doing this? “We… spotted three droid pods dropping with the meteor shower.” He really wished he knew Commander Cody better, he was a _hard_ brother to read. “We’re dispatching them now.”

“Mm. Good catch,” Commander Cody said, in the kind of tone that meant he didn’t believe a word Fives was saying.

“Three. Two.”

Fives glanced over Cody’s shoulder - 327 was nearly inside the base where it was _safe_ with Nub and O’Niner, but Rex was gripping a rifle Fives had never seen before, shifting his weight as he scanned the horizon like he _knew_ what was coming.

“Um,” Fives said. “Thank you, sir.”

He was spared having to speak further by Rex, who pressed his comm and lifted it to his helmet. “Commander?”

_“You’re being flanked.”_

Fives nearly choked in surprise - what was _Commander Tano_ doing on _Rishi_ \- but a flicker of movement caught his eye. Rex whirled, hoisted his rifle; two shots cut through the air.

“Movement, three o’clock!” Echo called, urgency ringing through sharp and clear.

“Movement nine o’clock!” Cutup replied, accent slipping away with nerves. 

The commando droid standing over 327 - over 327’s _body -_ dropped.

 _“DROIDS!”_ Hevy roared.

Fives opened fire without thinking about it, dropping his target into a pile of smoking parts. Commander Cody dove for cover; Fives followed - Rex was on his heels, ducking behind the shuttle’s other side with an eye-watering curse.

Echo was swearing too. “How the _kriff_ did they get in the _base -”_

“We _stopped them!”_ Cutup’s voice nearly cracked. “We stopped them, the escape pods, _how -?!”_

“Don’t know, doesn’t matter!” Fives barked out. “Shoot them now or we’re dead!”

It could, probably, be worse. At least they have the shuttle for cover, but it was only a matter of time before the droids got smart and decided to shoot _under_ it.

The commando droids lunged forward in pairs, scattering into cover behind the crates lining the landing platform. Fives couldn’t spare a glance for Droidbait, but he heard Hevy shouting _snap out of it_ so he figured that everyone was, at least, still alive.

“We can hold them until Commander Tano arrives.” Rex’s voice cut through the sounds of battle like a knife, bringing clarity and relief in its wake. Fives didn’t know why the kriff Commander Tano was _on Rishi,_ but he wasn’t going to look a gift bantha in the mouth.

Except -

They kept fighting, locked in a stalemate with commando droids that _never seemed to die_ -

And Commander Tano didn’t arrive.

“What’s the holdup?” Commander Cody shouted.

Rex’s shots went wide in the few seconds that followed. Fives cringed, finger faltering on the trigger.

The opening was small, but the commando droids took it. A pair of them leaped forward - Hevy shot down the first one, but the second had its vibroblade out and was aiming for Cutup and _Fives wasn’t going to aim in time -_

A blue streak cut the droid out of the air. Fives turned to see Droidbait kneeling there, raising his hand to make the ARC symbol for _one._

Despite everything, Fives grinned.

* * *

Rex’s knuckles were white on the shuttle controls. The meteor shower hadn’t ended yet - Cody had _yelped_ when Rex dove into it, but he was a far better pilot than Cody remembered.

“I have a visual.” Ahsoka’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Three pods. They’re depositing droids already.”

Cody swore. “How the kriff does she -”

“Morai,” Rex answered. _Morai_ was usually the answer when Ahsoka knew things she couldn’t know.

“The _bird?”_

“She goes where she wants,” Ahsoka piped up, which only added to Cody’s confusion.

Rex set the shuttle down on the landing platform, jammed his helmet on his head, and headed for the ramp. Cody followed - Ahsoka, on the other hand, had already slipped towards the pods.

He gripped the strap of his rifle for reassurance and stepped onto the barren moon.

Cody spoke to Fi - to the shiny and Rex let him, too busy scanning for any signs of droids that might slip past Ahsoka. The Rishi boys were sniping from the edge of the landing platform - good tactic, but not enough to get _all of them -_

His hand jumped to his comm before it could beep and Ahsoka’s voice came through the other end. _“You’re being flanked.”_

From there, everything went to hell.

As it tended to.

Rex’s mind raced as he pulled the trigger of his trusty rifle - the shuttle was good cover, capable of withstanding any amount of small arms fire, but it had gaps that left them vulnerable. If they were smart, they’d be able to board - but there was only one other landing spot, on a ridge half a klick away, and they couldn’t just _leave_ with Kamino on the line.

Which left them with the sole option of fighting.

The commando droids had them cornered. Rex eyed the edge of the platform, wondering if he could get Fi - _the shinies_ over the side without casualties. Electrostaffs buzzed around his head when he reached for Ahsoka, mechanical warbling filled his ears - he flinched without meaning to and yanked himself back, calling out the answer Cody was asking for.

His lapse left an opening; Rex’s heart skipped a beat before the shinies took down the lunging droids - he picked off one in the back that had poked its head out of cover.

And then they just… disappeared.

“There’s no way they’re giving up,” one of the shinies whispered incredulously. “No way. They’ve got us cornered!”

The blast doors slid shut. The roar of the Z6 died away.

“What…?”

 _“Don’t move!”_ Rex didn’t flinch, but the shiny sounded _so much_ like an ARC. “None of you move! Stay behind cover!”

“Fives…?”

Rex felt like he’d been punched. _Fives -_

“They aren’t retreating,” came the answer. “Commando droids don’t retreat. They’re planning something, and I don’t know -”

The blast doors slid open.

Small, metallic spheres rolled down the landing platform.

 _“OFF THE PLATFORM!”_ Rex bellowed.

He grabbed Fives; Cody tackled Echo -

\- and the thermal detonator went off, swallowing the world in lightning and thunder.

* * *

Ahsoka ran as fast as she could, panting for breath. Her arms were still tingly and halfway-numb from the glancing blow of an electrostaff, but she could feel the explosion on the landing platform at the back of her skull, mingling with Rex’s fear and Rex’s anger.

 _The supports,_ the Force whispered, but Ahsoka ignored it, pushing it aside in search of Rex - pain is bleeding through the space between them, coating her mouth in copper and pushing needles through her shoulder. He wasn’t _dead,_ wasn’t dying ( _she’s nearly made it to the reactor, ready to blow the Empire’s arms factory sky-high when she hears Rex_ screaming _deep in her bones and nearly vomits_ ) but she couldn’t stand to feel his pain.

His pain was her own.

_You know how to deal with pain._

She ignored that too and ran, cursing the MagnaGuards for slowing her down. She’d almost made it when the distant sound of blaster fire rang out and the platform _tilted -_

Ahsoka cried out, throwing her hands up and _grabbing_ the platform. The metal groaned. Her arms shook.

The platform shuddered and slipped as she tried to hold it steady, plummeting meters towards the ground before she managed to steady it again. She clenched her fists, nails digging into the meat of her palms. Her arms burned with the effort, lungs aching as she gasped for air, chest heaving with every slow centimeter she lowered the ruins of the platform.

Metal scraped against the stone. Ahsoka collapsed, unable to stop the platform from collapsing the last few meters to the ground. Her palms stung as she caught herself, panting, and when she pushed herself up and wiped her hands on her leggings, she left streaks of blood and dirt on the white fabric.

The cuts from her nails weren’t deep. She’d be fine.

It wasn’t hard to find Rex - he was a maelstrom in the Force, impossible to miss.

“Little ‘un,” Rex greeted. His hand was on Fives’s shoulder - _oh, Fives -_ as if he were steadying him. “You okay?”

“I’m okay,” Ahsoka assured him. “Just a few scratches.” _Fives, Fives, Fives -_ he felt like stardust and kyber, like the immutable truth of the universe. As if a single chip of the Father had fallen from Mortis to land on Rishi - but smaller, infinitely smaller. _Mortal._ “You?”

(He felt like _her Fives,_ but -)

“Fine.” _Oh, Rex._ He never could lie, not to her. “The others?”

(Surely not -?)

Ahsoka tipped her head to the side, reaching out through the Force - it took a bit of searching, but she found them: one, two, three, and four, all kyber-marked like Fives was, and Cody shining nearby. “They’re alive,” she confirmed. “Come on, Cody’s this way.” So was Echo, but Ahsoka wasn’t supposed to know his name - not yet. Both of them were okay, but two of the others were injured.

“Are you all right?” she asked as they picked their way through the rubble towards Cody and Echo. “Fives, right?”

“Sir,” Fives said intelligently, eyes as wide as saucers. Ahsoka couldn’t help but smile up at him as she dropped back to walk next to him, leaving Rex to - reluctantly - forge ahead.

“They’re okay,” she assured him softly, knocking his arm with her own - Fives had never responded as well to gentleness as he had to roughhousing, anyway. “They’re your batchmates, aren’t they?”

Fives glanced down at her. “Yes, sir,” he answered quietly. “Are they - you’re sure?”

“I’m sure,” Ahsoka confirmed. Her mouth quirked sideways. “You all shine like stars, you know. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

The flash of alarm that followed her pronouncement was nearly swallowed up by a lightning strike’s worth of relief from Rex as Cody stumbled out of the smoke.

(He would have been on Mortis, wouldn’t he?)

* * *

Fives nearly shoved past Rex to reach Echo, only remembering himself at the last minute.

“You’re okay?” he demanded, holding his brother at arms-length and eyeing him up and down.

Echo’s helmet dangled limply from his arm, but he grinned tiredly. “Just bruises,” he assured him. He glanced over Fives’s shoulder, eyes widening briefly as he saw Commander Tano. “What’s she doing here?” he hissed, dropping his voice low enough that none of the others would overhear.

Fives shook his head helplessly. “Something’s wrong,” he muttered. “Too much has changed already - Rex isn’t…” He trailed off, trying to explain. “He’s not _right._ He’s too angry, and I’ve never seen him use a rifle if he had any choice.”

Echo nodded, brow pinched. “We _can’t_ have changed that much,” he said slowly. “We only just got off Kamino. Maybe O’Niner made some calls…?”

“We would have noticed,” Fives argued. _We would have, right?_

“With all the training -” Echo broke off as Rex and Commander Cody motioned for them to follow, returning to the path of the wreckage.

 _We might have missed it,_ Fives finished for him, hands moving in ARC sign behind the officers’ backs.

Still, just seeing Rex and Commander Tano was enough to lift a weight from his shoulders. He’d known there had to be _some_ Jedi around as soon as he was caught mid-freefall, nearly dropped, then caught again, but if he had to pick one, it would have been the Commander.

(Well -)

(No. Better it be her.)

* * *

Rishi progressed like clockwork. Rex met the members of Domino Squad he hadn’t known the first time - Cutup, who had shot down the eel that had eaten him last time, and Droidbait, who was summarily unconscious but not actually dead. He also reunited with Hevy, whom he had only known for a brief time before the young man had sacrificed himself to destroy the outpost.

That wouldn’t be necessary this time. Rex divided the - the _shinies,_ they were shinies, they were Cutup and Droidbait and Hevy and then _the other shinies,_ he couldn’t afford to think of them as anything else right now - he divided the troopers between him and Ahsoka.

If _the shinies_ went with Ahsoka, away from the exploding base, that was just a coincidence.

The Republic arrived. Rex stayed silent as Ahsoka greeted the pilot with a laugh, pressing himself against Cody’s side and determinedly not shaking.

They were shinies. They were _shinies,_ and they were celebrating surviving their first mission, like _any_ shiny (they weren’t shinies anymore, though, were they -)

“Rex,” Cody whispered. “What do you need?”

What did he need? _Fives -_

“Where’s Ahsoka?” he asked, not raising his head from Cody’s shoulder.

A small, warm weight tucked itself against Rex’s side. “Right here, Rex,” Ahsoka murmured. “They’re gonna be okay. We’ll keep them safe.”

Rex exhaled shakily. “Yeah,” he agreed roughly. “They’re gonna - they’re gonna be fine.”

* * *

The roar of celebration was as overwhelming as it was familiar. Fives laughed as Droidbait turned bright red under the attention; Hevy, on the other hand, was basking in the attention and fitting in as seamlessly as if he’d lived on the _Resolute_ his whole life. Cutup followed at his heels, bouncing on his heels as he grinned at anyone who looked at him.

Echo stuck next to Fives, laughing as he accepted armor slaps and hair-ruffling, leaning into the rough affection like a loth-cat. He stumbled, yelping comically as a brother Fives didn’t know shoved him eagerly - Fives roared with laughter, yanking him upright and getting him in a sloppy headlock that Echo freed himself from in seconds.

The officers didn’t push their way through - Fives looked around for Rex and found him hovering on the edge of the celebrations, pressed against Commander Cody’s shoulder. Fives nearly faltered at the expression on his face - drawn and weary and _sad,_ like he was watching a funeral pyre instead of a celebration.

He caught Rex’s eyes and shivered at the desperation he saw there, only visible for a second before Rex looked away.

Echo wrapped an arm around Fives’s shoulder and tugged him away. Rex was lost in the swirl of the crowd.

Ahsoka took his place in Fives’s periphery, laughing and chattering with the men, her convor perched between her montrals. _I don’t remember you having a bird, sir -_

“Mancy!” Ahsoka called, interrupting his train of thought to wave at a trooper with triangle-marked armor. “I didn’t realize you were out of the medbay!”

“Janlee cleared me right after you left,” Mancy replied. “Good to see you, sir.”

Ahsoka beamed before she disappeared into the sea of white and blue plastoid.

Droidbait sidled up to them, pressing himself against Fives’s side. Five chuckled, wrapping an arm around the shiny’s shoulders. “Enjoying yourself, Droidbait?”

 _“No,”_ Droidbait muttered, his voice muffled against Fives’s pauldron. “This is _definitely_ not my scene.”

“Aww,” Echo cooed, reaching over to ruffle Droidbait’s here. “Poor shiny DB -”

“Kriff off -” Droidbait’s retort was broken by a yawn.

As if by magic, the crowd began to thin around them - Fives caught sight of Denal shepherding a squad of unpainted shinies away from them, scolding them in rapid Mando’a.

“Should probably find you a bunk,” Fives mused, shifting so Droidbait was safely propped up between him and Echo. He scanned the room for Hevy and Cutup, heart easing as he saw them - being _thoroughly_ mobbed by the brothers who were drifting away from Fives, Echo, and Droidbait.

“It’s good for them,” Echo decided, snickering.

Hevy certainly looked like he was enjoying himself, Fives had to admit.

“All right, boys!” Ahsoka cried over the din. Fives looked up to see her crouching on the nose of a gunship, her bird perched on the barrel of one of its guns. “That’s enough! Bring it down!”

A groan echoed through the hangar, but the 501st simmered down into something approaching quiet. “Aw, c’mon, Commander!”

Ahsoka laughed. “Once they’re done debriefing, you can get back to celebrating, Attie,” she promised.

There was a hearty cheer from that section of the hangar.

A heavy gauntlet landed on Fives’s shoulder. “Come with us, men,” Commander Cody ordered, voice low.

Fives hesitated, exchanging a glance with Echo, who cleared his throat. “Sir -”

“Whatever it is,” Commander Cody interrupted, “it can wait.”

Fives glanced around for Rex. His head was bowed, eyes downcast, as Ahsoka propped herself against his side and was speaking too quietly for Fives to hear.

He shoved his helmet back on as Commander Cody steered them out of the hangar.

It wasn’t far to the conference room where Rex and Ahsoka were waiting. The Commander’s bird was gone - where, Fives had no idea, but he found himself checking the corners for a flash of gold-and-green feathers.

“Take a seat, gentlemen,” Cody said, seating himself at the table and resting his helmet on the floor beside him. He glanced over as Ahsoka slid into the seat next to him, eyes bright and keen as she watched Domino Squad.

Fives lowered himself into a chair slowly, biting the inside of his cheek when his body relaxed as soon as he was seated. His head swam with a dazing mix of exhaustion and relief, but he needed to be alert for this conversation. Something was _wrong._ Rex was still standing, helmet on, hands clenched on the back of Ahsoka’s chair, and he hadn’t spoken a word since - since - 

With a jolt, Fives realized he hadn’t spoken _to Domino_ since the firefight - his orders when retaking the base had been given to Ahsoka and Commander Cody, and Domino just happened to be in hearing range.

“Easy, boys,” Commander Cody murmured. “Easy. Take a moment. Relax. Breathe.”

Echo, in direct contrast, tensed. He reached for Fives under the table - Fives caught his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

They weren’t out of the fire yet, but they had each other.

“Congratulations are in order,” Ahsoka started, her beaming grin from earlier tamped down into something softer and warmer that crinkled the corners of her eyes. “You saved the Republic from a devastating attack. Just as importantly, you saved innumerable lives on Kamino. If that doesn’t deserve a medal, I don’t think anything does.”

Commander Cody steepled his fingers, resting his chin on his fingertips. “Your squad performed at a level impressive even among the most skilled troopers. Indeed, it was enough to wonder if you even _are_ shinies.”

“You’re hiding something,” Ahsoka concluded. “You know ARC sign and your aim is good enough to rival the 501st. I think I even recognized some of your strategies on the distraction team,” she added, nodding to Fives.

The tension in the room increased, nearly to snapping point. Hevy turned to Fives, eyes wide - _what do we do?_

Echo ducked his head and took a deep breath, squeezing Fives’s hand. “Sirs,” he said, looking up. “You aren’t wrong. We -” He sighed. “I’m aware how improbable this sounds, but we have lived through this before.”

The reaction was immediate - Commander Cody froze, Ahsoka gasped, and Rex -

If Fives’s eyes were working properly, he would swear that Rex’s knees nearly gave out.

“Oh,” Ahsoka whispered. “It really _is_ you - I thought, maybe, but -”

Fives was frozen in place. Wh - this was _not_ what he was expecting, _what -_

Commander Cody glanced at Rex, who gestured towards Domino jerkily. The former winced but nodded.

“You’ve traveled back in time,” Commander Cody surmised, turning to face the squad. “From the point of your… deaths.”

“That’s… correct, sir,” Echo said slowly, his eyes flicking between Commander Cody, Ahsoka, and Rex, who looked like he was barely holding himself upright. “Sir…?”

Commander Cody rubbed his forehead and sighed, eyes falling shut. “You five aren’t the only ones,” he said flatly and gestured to Rex and Ahsoka. “Apparently, these two _also_ refuse to stay dead.”

All the strength went out of Fives. He slumped back in his seat, staring at Rex - _he was -?_

Ahsoka rose, motioning for Commander Cody to join her. “Come on, you three,” she murmured to Hevy, Droidbait, and Cutup. “Let’s get you set up with your new squad.” She smiled. “You’re going to be with Rho Squad, under Sergeant Hez.”

Fives was vaguely aware of Echo assuring them, telling them to follow Ahsoka.

Rex - _Rex_ was here, remembered him - Rex, who was taking off his helmet and _Force,_ he looked - he looked -

“Rex,” Fives whispered. Commander Cody was gone, now - when had he left -?

A broken noise ripped out of Rex’s throat. He was _pale,_ ashen, and his eyes were wet and glistening -

 _“Fives,”_ he gasped out, and Fives lunged out of his seat, wrapping his arms around Rex.

“‘M sorry,” he croaked, burying his face in Rex’s shoulder. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t - I should have -”

“Fives,” Rex whispered, hugging him so tight it was almost painful. _“Force,_ Fives, I’m so sorry -”

“Not your fault -”

“Wasn’t your fault -”

“You’re both idiots,” Echo muttered, worming his way between them. “Kriff, it’s - good to see you.”

“Echo,” Rex croaked, dragging him into the hug. “Force - I -” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “Both of you, I’m _so sorry.”_

“Not your fault,” Fives repeated, shuffling to the side to drag Echo closer.

Rex pulled back, scrubbing at his face. “You’re _my men,”_ he growled. “I should have kept you safe. I should have found you sooner, I should have _listened.”_

Echo flinched and burrowed deeper against Fives. “Sir -”

“How long?” Fives blurted out, eyes wide. “How long - I mean, after -”

Rex’s shoulders slumped. “Twenty-three years,” he said, exhaustion heavy in his voice. “Twenty-three _kriffing -_ Force, I missed you. Both of you.”

Echo swore and reached for him, dragging him back into the hug. “We’ve got you, sir,” he muttered. “‘S okay, now.”

Fives shifted, dragging Rex forward until he was safely pressed between Fives and Echo. “Tell us what happened?” he asked quietly, once Rex had stopped trembling. “Did the war ever end?”

Rex made a strangled noise that _might_ have been a laugh if it had been loved as a child. “Yeah,” he muttered. “Yeah, it did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who have not read Dominoes, I _highly_ recommend it - it inspired me to write LiBT, and it is truly one of the best fanfics I've ever read. You can find it [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11864643/chapters/26789934)


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